Abuse comes in many forms. It can be emotional, physical, sexual or psychological. It is something that people can do to themselves, for example, by abusing a substance or alcohol until they become dependent on it. In many cases, abuse comes from someone in power, whether that is formal or otherwise. For example, child abuse is often perpetrated by a parent, teacher or someone else in a position of authority. Abuse of prisoners or employees usually takes the same power relationship model. Of course, abuse can also relate to the way people speak to one another, for instance, by the use of abusive language. In other words, this is something that occurs in daily life in all societies and is often tolerated to some extent. Only in its worst forms is it a crime, such as the sexual molestation of a minor or the systematic bullying of a vulnerable adult.
